A Poem for the New Year

First Foot

One .... two .... three .... four ....

Midnight knocking at our door.

A tall dark stranger waits outside

Turning away, his face to hide.

A lump of coal in one black hand -

What does it mean? Why does he stand

Holding his other hand out to us all

As we welcome him into the midnight hall?

Goodbye to the old year, good luck in the new,

'Come in, dear friend, peace be with you.'  

- Ian Serraillier

Great Show

Saw a delightful Christmas show at Chicago's Goodman Theater this week. It was Congo Square's "The Nativity," a re-telling of the birth of Christ through singing and dancing. My son-in-law Casey Diers, designed the lighting, which was warm and elegant and highlighted the actors' movements and costumes beautifully. I thoroughly enjoyed the deeply emotional performances and rich voices of the ensemble.

State Fair

I love going to state and county fairs. Last year, the location of Nebraska's state fair was changed from Lincoln to Grand Island. It was controversial, but I understand why it was a good idea. Lincoln's state fair facilities were extremely run-down, and Grand Island is more convenient for most farming families.

This year Scott and I drove an hour and minutes minutes to Grand Island, then spent two more hours in the car creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffick. At the end of that ordeal, our parking space was a one-mile walk on unpaved roadside from the fairgrounds. It was discouraging, to say the least!

After we finally made it into the fair, we had a nice time. I relished my annual corn dog and lemonade. The 4H project displays are our favorite part, and there was a lot to see from kids all over the state. The animals were beautiful, as were the many quilts. The commercial exhibits were out in force selling everything from vibrating weight-loss machines to waterless cookware. No outdoor concerts, which I missed. We didn't ride or play games, but the midway looked great. We lucked out with spectacular weather, which made all the difference. If I can figure out a better parking plan, I'll go again.

Drive-by Art

The World is Amazing and Beautiful and So Are You

I've been passing by this art installation in someone's front yard all summer, every time I go home from work. It caught my eye right away and made me smile a bit the first time I saw it, but I didn't have a strong reaction. With repeated viewings, I've become quite attached to it and appreciate the message more than I did at first. I find that I respond to it now, silently nodding and agreeing as I drive by. So yesterday I stopped and took pictures. Isn't it cool that someone took the time to entertain and enlighten passers-by with art?

Dancing With the Stars

I'm an on again, off again "Stars" watcher. After watching Monday night, I applaud Kirstie Alley's gumption and stamina. Her competitors are quite younger and fitter than she. Yet through perseverance and impressive toughness in rehearsals, she comes through with suberb dancing. At this point, I would love to see her win!

"Super"

Saw the movie "Super" last week. Fantastic acting by an all-star cast, interesting plot, and adult moral themes. But...it's very graphic and gruesome, too much for sensitive types and definitely NOT for kids or young teens.